Kinesthetic therapy devices are collected in Class 128, Surgery and Body Treatment, subclasses 56, 57, 60, 24.3 and 25B. The following U.S. Patents describe foot massagers: Nos.
1,481,038 PA1 3,548,814 PA1 1,962,971 PA1 3,662,748 PA1 2,448,797 PA1 3,888,241 PA1 3,037,500 PA1 2,663,293
U.S. Pat. No. 2,663,293 shows a cylinder having offset rows of bumps, however, when in use the bumps are covered. The device is mechanically operated.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,548,814 shows a nodulous cylinder having ends fixed to a platform allowing the cylinder to revolve around the fixed ends.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,888,241 uses an arrangement of dimples, skull cap recesses and ribs which are not offset.
A number of devices are rolled on the floor by the foot, but all have massaging elements on the inner cylinder which differ from the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,962,971 uses ridges instead of bumps. U.S. Pat. No. 2,448,797 has diagonal notches arranged on raised ribs. The bumps in U.S. Pat. No. 2,037,500 are not offset and continue a distance up the sides of wheel end supports. U.S. Pat. No. 3,662,748 uses offset notches in toroidal plates. U.S. Pat. No. 1,481,038 uses a tapered inner cylinder which does not have bumps across its entire outer surface.
The prior art lacks a portable, easily manufactured and inexpensive foot massager having closely spaced, interconnecting and alternating projections arranged annularly about a rigid member to repeatedly and alternately stretch and compress the skin, muscles and tendons of a foot bottom with sufficient force and rapidity over enough closely spaced foot bottom areas to achieve effective, convenient and efficient massaging of the foot.